Hardware Multimedia Endpoint and Personal Computer

1. A personal computer system, comprising: a personal computer bus having attached therewith a personal computer main processor; a data communication interface for establishing a communication to a key provider so that the key provider, located in a device attached to the personal computer bus, can communicate via the personal computer bus; and an internal interface attached to the personal computer bus, the internal interface being connected to an adapter card having a hardware multimedia endpoint, the hardware multimedia endpoint comprising: an interface for interfacing to a computer; and a processor for receiving cryptographic information from the computer, for processing the cryptographic information, and for outputting cryptographic information to the computer, wherein the processor is operative to process cryptographic information such that an authentication procedure with a third party, which is different from the computer is established, wherein the computer system is operative to receive and forward cryptographic information between the hardware multimedia endpoint and the key provider such that an authentication procedure between the key provider and the hardware multimedia endpoint, which are different from the personal computer main processor, is established, wherein the adapter card is a graphics card, a printer card or a sound card.

2. A computer system in accordance with claim 1 , in which the key provider is located in a peripheral device attached to the personal computer bus, and in which the hardware multimedia endpoint is located on an adapter card for an additional peripheral device located within the computer system.

3. The computer system in accordance with claim 2 , in which the key provider is included in an optical disk drive operative to read optical media having stored thereon audio or video content, and in which the hardware multimedia endpoint is included on a graphics adapter card.

4. The computer system of claim 2 , being operative to perform a user mode application for organizing a communication between the peripheral device and an adapter driver for driving the adapter card or to derive from a user input an action to be performed and to trigger a corresponding authentication procedure.

5. The computer system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a user mode application for organizing a communication between a peripheral device having the key provider and an adapter driver for driving an adapter card having the hardware multimedia endpoint and to derive, from a user input, an action to be performed and to trigger a corresponding authentication procedure between the peripheral device and the adapter card.

6. The computer system in accordance with claim 5 , in which the user mode application is operative to establish a connection between the key provider and the hardware multimedia endpoint so that the hardware multimedia endpoint gets knowledge of an authentication protocol to be performed, whereby the hardware multimedia endpoint knows whether it is to initially send or initially receive a data packet.

7. The computer system in accordance with claim 6 , which is operative to prompt the key provider or the hardware multimedia endpoint to start providing a data packet, in which the computer is operative to forward a received data packet to a communication partner, in which the computer is operative to prompt the other communication partner to send a reply packet, and in which the computer is operative to forward the reply packet to the first communication partner.

8. A method of operating a personal computer system comprising a personal computer bus having attached therewith a personal computer main processor and a data communication interface, comprising: establishing a communication to a key provider, located in a device attached to the personal computer bus, so that the key provider can communicate via the personal computer bus; and establishing a communication to an adapter card having a hardware multimedia endpoint, the hardware multimedia endpoint comprising: an interface for interfacing to a computer; and a processor for receiving cryptographic information from the computer, for processing the cryptographic information, and for outputting cryptographic information to the computer, wherein the processor is operative to process cryptographic information such that an authentication procedure with a third party, which is different from the computer is established, wherein the adapter card is a graphics card, a printer card or a sound card, so that the hardware multimedia endpoint can communicate via the personal computer bus; and receiving and forwarding cryptographic information between the hardware multimedia endpoint and the key provider such that an authentication procedure between the key provider, which is different from the personal computer main processor and the hardware multimedia endpoint is established.

9. A digital storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for performing, when running on a computer, a method of operating a personal computer system comprising a personal computer bus having attached therewith a personal computer main processor and a data communication interface, comprising: establishing a communication to a key provider, located in a device attached to the personal computer bus, so that the key provider can communicate via the personal computer bus; and establishing a communication to an adapter card having a hardware multimedia endpoint, the hardware multimedia endpoint comprising: an interface for interfacing to a computer; and a processor for receiving cryptographic information from the computer, for processing the cryptographic information, and for outputting cryptographic information to the computer, wherein the processor is operative to process cryptographic information such that an authentication procedure with a third party, which is different from the computer is established, wherein the adapter card is a graphics card, a printer card or a sound card, so that the hardware multimedia endpoint can communicate via the personal computer bus; and receiving and forwarding cryptographic information between the hardware multimedia endpoint and the key provider such that an authentication procedure between the key provider, which is different from the personal computer main processor and the hardware multimedia endpoint is established.